Doctor Khumalo is one of the greatest footballing talents ever produced by South Africa. He was born Theophilus Doctorson Khumalo and was eventually given the nickname ‘Doctor’ because of his middle name.
The South African legend has had a colourful and interesting life and played as a star midfielder at the domestic level for the Kaizer Chiefs Football Club and for Bafana Bafana – the South Africa national team.
Here is a quick look at the cinematic journey of one of South Africa’s most iconic living sports stars, who was even named in the top 100 (#62) on the South African television series ‘Great South Africans.’
Who is Doctor Khumalo?
He may not be widely known outside of the country, but almost everyone has heard the name Doctor Khumalo in South Africa. The 56-year-old former professional soccer star was born in Soweto, South Africa, on June 26, 1967.
He played as a central midfielder for club and country, and his youth career began at the Moroka Swallows, where he played from 1984 to 85. He then joined the Kaizer Chiefs in 1986 and moved up to the senior team the following year.
During his time with the Kaizer Chiefs from 1987 to 2004, he made 397 appearances and scored 75 goals. He also had a couple of brief loan spell periods with Argentinian club Ferro Carril Oeste (4 apps, 1 goal, in 1995) and American club Columbus Crew (43 apps, 5 goals, in 1996-97).
He played for South Africa (Bafana Bafana) from 1992 until 2001, and during that time, he made 50 appearances, scoring 9 goals for his country. After retiring from football, he spent a couple of years as a player/coach and coach, and one of his aims was to become a soccer administrator.
In late December 2023, South Africa’s number-one iGaming site, 10bet SA, welcomed a South Africa football icon – Doctor Khumalo – as their official brand ambassador.
10bet is also Bafana Bafana’s official betting partner and the official kit sponsor (principal partner) of the South African soccer team, the Lamontville Golden Arrows.
Acting career
Doctor Khumalo is part of an elite group of people who have appeared in a movie based on their lives. The 2010 German/South African production was about a young and ambitious soccer player called Themba.
Khumalo plays himself in the movie as the coach of the U21 soccer team, and the story centres around the aspiring Themba, who has to overcome many hurdles in his life, including AIDS, poverty, and violence. Despite the challenges, he succeeds and ends up earning a place in the South African national soccer team.
Themba was based on a novel by German author Lutz van Dijk, first shown in 2010 at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). On the official IMDB (Internet Movie Database) website, Themba has an above-average score of 7.4 stars.
Doctor Khumalo has also appeared as himself in a minor role in the more recently released 2023 drama/sports movie The Queenstown Kings.
It’s about a young and aspiring soccer player from rural Queenstown who has to overcome similar challenges and must decide between his dreams and his team’s success.
The Queenstown Kings was written by Clyde Berning and Jahmil X.T. Qhubeka and directed by the latter. It also stars William Adams, Athenkosi Cwele, and Gcinuhlanga Dibi. It didn’t go down as well with audiences and only has a 4.2-star IMDB rating.
Whether we will see Doctor Khumalo appearing in future roles on television or on the big screen remains to be seen. However, we will likely continue to see him appear as himself in future documentaries about South African sports stars and influential people.
We will also continue to see a lot more of him as he is now 10bet South Africa’s official brand ambassador.
What other famous South African footballers are there?
South Africa has produced many other famous footballers, some of which you may already be familiar with by now. Examples include the following names:
- Lucas Radebe
- Quinton Fortune
- Benni McCarthy
- Itumeleng Khune
- Shaun Bartlett
- Aaron Mokoena
- Percy Tau
Others include Aubrey Modiba, Bongani Zungu, Ronwen Williams, Kagiso Dikgacoi, Eric Tinkler, Mark Fish, Steven Pienaar, and Phil Masinga, to name just a few.
Final note
If you register a free 10bet account to place soccer bets or play casino games, the most important thing to remember is to gamble responsibly. Never treat gambling as a job. Never chase your losses, and always set a reasonable budget before you log in to your account to gamble.
